Masquerade
by cleotheo
Summary: When Hermione Granger buys an expensive ticket to a charity masquerade ball being hosted by the Malfoys, she has one aim in mind - seducing the wizard of her dreams, Draco Malfoy. Will she succeed, or will her cunning plan all be in vain? Saucy, four part story.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N – Welcome to my new racy short story – Masquerade. The story has 4 chapters and I will be publishing every day this week. On Friday I will then add an After The End for Masquerade. I hope you all enjoy it.**

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Sitting in a high-end muggle cafe with her friend, Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger gazed down at the luxurious blue and gold envelope sitting between them. Inside the envelope was a ticket to the largest charity function that Wizarding Britain would play host to that year – a masquerade ball at Malfoy Manor. The ticket had cost Hermione a small fortune, and in order to attend the ball she would have to spend another small fortune on an outfit.

"I think I've made a mistake," Hermione announced in a quiet voice.

"What sort of mistake?" Ginny asked.

"The ticket," Hermione replied, gesturing to the envelope sitting between them. "The cost was astronomical, and it won't be cheap finding an appropriate outfit."

"Of course the price was going to be steep, the ball is being held at Malfoy Manor," Ginny said. "I bet half the people attending are only going to get a look at the place. I know I would love to go, but Harry isn't keen. You know he doesn't like these big social events."

Hermione nodded absently-mindedly, but she wasn't really thinking about her best friend and his desire to keep out of the limelight. She was thinking about the money she'd already spent, and the money she was about to spend, and wondering if it was all worth it.

"Don't go changing your mind now, Hermione," Ginny warned as if she was reading Hermione's mind. Although to be fair, her friends doubts were written all over her face.

"What if this is all a bit too desperate?" Hermione asked. "Do you not think it's a bit extreme to spend a small fortune attending a party just to try and grab the attention of one wizard? A wizard who had shown no interest at all in me, I might add."

The reason for Hermione buying the ticket was her colleague, Draco Malfoy. Hermione had been shocked when two years ago, Draco had joined the Ministry's law department as a prosecutor. As a fellow lawyer, Hermione worked in the same department as Draco, but their paths rarely crossed as she specialised in family law. However, Hermione had developed a deep crush on Draco over the past two years, and even though he was always polite, and sometimes even friendly, towards her, he'd never looked at her as anything other than his colleague.

"You could have just taken my other suggestion and asked him out," Ginny said.

For all of Hermione's brains and courage when it came to men she was pretty clueless and more than a little bit wary. So while Ginny would have just taken the bull by the horns and asked Draco out, Hermione was afraid to taking the initiative. She claimed it was because she didn't want to make their working relationship awkward, but Ginny suspected she was just afraid of rejection. Especially rejection from a wizard who had once made it clear he thought Hermione was beneath him. Not that Draco thought like that any more, and everyone knew both he and his parents had changed after the war, and these days they made a big effort to ensure that everyone was thought of equal and that a wizard like Voldemort would never get the chance to rally supporters and wage another war.

"Maybe what I should do is forget all about Draco sodding Malfoy," Hermione grumbled. "I don't get why he's gotten under my skin. Yes, he's changed and it's commendable the way he's turned his life around and hasn't let the past ruin his life. Sure, he's mouth-wateringly gorgeous and as sexy as hell. But we've barely had a handful of conversations. Why am I so bothered about him? And it's not like I don't have other options. I do date other wizards."

"Most of whom are intimidated by you," Ginny pointed out. "If they're not star-struck by your war heroine status, they're out-shone by your brilliant mind and promising career. Anyone who wants to get serious with you, will have to accept that you're going to be smarter than them and likely have a better career than them. Not a lot of wizards can do that."

"And you think Malfoy can?" Hermione asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah, because he faces a very similar dilemma," Ginny answered. "Anyone who is with him not only has to accept his past, but they have to live up to his parents high expectations. I can't imagine many witches will meet Malfoy standards."

"I certainly can't," Hermione snorted. "Or have you forgotten the fact I'm a muggleborn? As much as the Malfoys have changed, I can't see them welcoming a muggleborn into the family."

"They might surprise you," Ginny offered. "But let's not get carried away. First of all, you have to grab Malfoy's attention."

"I see him everyday at work, and he never notices me," Hermione replied. "I think it's safe to say I'm not his type."

"Which is why you need to show him a different side," Ginny urged. "And this masquerade ball is perfect. You can turn yourself into a tempting seductress, and best of all you'll feel safe behind the anonymity of a mask. If he does reject you, at least he won't know it's you."

"I guess there is that," Hermione conceded with a nod.

"And just think, if it does work, you can have a night of passion with the most eligible bachelor in the country," Ginny smirked, waggling her eyebrows at Hermione.

"You're a bad influence, Ginny," Hermione chuckled as she swept the ticket to the ball into her bag.

"A bad influence who is going to make sure you look as sexy as possible," Ginny announced as they got to their feet to leave the cafe and start shopping for an outfit.

The two witches had chosen to shop in the muggle world as Ginny had declared the choice of outfits in the wizarding world as too boring. She wanted her friend to look as desirable as possible, and in her opinion there was very little choice in their world. However, she was hoping the muggle world would be a bit more adventurous.

Luckily, Ginny was right and they easily found a couple of shops which made the exact sort of dresses Ginny was after. Not quite sure what she wanted, Hermione handed over control to Ginny and allowed the younger witch to pick which dresses they would try on. A couple of times she did downright refuse Ginny's options, but on a whole she bowed down to Ginny's experience when it came for fashion and looking sexy.

"That is nice," Ginny remarked as Hermione tried on a deep blue dress which had a short mini skirt at the front and a large trailing skirt at the back.

"I don't think it's quite what I was thinking," Hermione said as she took in her reflection in the mirror.

"Onto the next then," Ginny said, not at all bothered by Hermione's lack of interest in the dress. After all, they still had more to try on and she wanted Hermione to feel comfortable.

Over the next half hour, Hermione tried on a dozen of dresses in a variety of colours and styles. However, while several of the dresses were stunning, none of them had the wow factor Hermione was hoping for. If she did want Draco to notice her, she would have to pull out all the stops.

"You stay here, and I'll go and see if we've missed anything," Ginny said after Hermione had changed back out of the final dress they'd picked for her to try.

Ten minutes later, Ginny returned with a breathtaking emerald dress. The top of the dress was an old-fashioned strapless bodice, covered in an intricate silver pattern, which would hug her breasts and give her a rather impressive cleavage. The skirt of the dress flared out dramatically at the back, and was cut at the front to reveal a figure hugging silver skirt with thigh high slits.

"Any red-blooded Slytherin will be unable to resist you in this," Ginny declared confidently.

"Let's try it on before we get too excited," Hermione replied, even though the dress was by far the best one she'd encountered so far, and it was the only one which had captured her imagination.

Taking the dress from Ginny, Hermione slipped into the changing room and changed into the dress. Even before she stepped out of the dressing room, she knew she'd found the dress, and Ginny's excited squeal proved it.

"Amazing," Ginny breathed as Hermione turned to study herself in the mirror.

The dress really was stunning, and even Hermione had to admit that with her hair and make-up done, and a matching mask covering half her face, she would be truly captivating. If she didn't capture Draco's attention in this, then she would never catch it.

"You don't think the skirt is too daring, do you?" Hermione checked. Even though she loved the effect of the green over the silver underskirt, she didn't want the thigh high slits to make her look cheap.

"I think it's perfect," Ginny gushed. "This is the dress, Hermione. If this doesn't grab Malfoy's attention, nothing will."

"I can't argue with you there," Hermione muttered, taking one more look at her reflection before turning to Ginny and announcing she would buy the dress.

With the dress sorted, attention turned to the rest of Hermione's outfit. When it came to the mask, they were heading back into the wizarding world, but while they were in the muggle world, they bought a pair of strappy silver sandals and some racy black underwear. They also found a delicate set of silver jewellery shaped like stars, which consisted of earrings, necklace and bracelet.

Once they were finished in the muggle world, they headed back to the wizarding world, where Ginny took Hermione to a bespoke mask designer. Using magic the mask she would buy would mould perfectly to her face, and only a spell she knew would release it. Once the basic mask had been created, Hermione and Ginny then described the sort of mask they wanted and the designer used magic to turn an ordinary plain mask into a dazzling green mask with silver details that exactly matched the colour of the dress Hermione had bought. For an extra flair, Ginny also suggested that a few feathers were added to the mask and Hermione had to admit that once the mask was complete and she was wearing it, she felt like a different person.

"You will be here to help me get ready, won't you?" Hermione checked as they returned to her flat with her purchases. As expected she'd spent a small fortune, but she didn't regret any of it and she was now looking forward to the masquerade ball.

"I'll be here," Ginny promised. "But we will have to think about how to do your hair. Do you have any ideas?"

"Not really," Hermione replied with a shrug. "You know how much I struggle to do anything with it."

"You really should try more often, it's so silky," Ginny remarked, running her fingers through Hermione's thick curls. "What did you do with it for the Yule Ball? It looked lovely then."

"I spent hours using potions and lotions to get it to behave," Hermione admitted. "I do know a spell to straighten it temporarily, that might help."

"No, you can't straighten it," Ginny insisted with a shake of her head. "I love your curls. We need to make the most of them. Maybe we should try some hairstyles."

"In that case we need wine."

Heading into the kitchen, Hermione retrieved a bottle of chilled rose from the fridge and grabbing two glasses, returned to the front room. Settling down with their wine, she then allowed Ginny to experiment with her hair while they chatted about the masquerade ball and what Hermione hoped to get out of it.

Hermione just hoped that she hadn't wasted a lot of time and effort trying to grab Draco's attention. She hoped it worked and he did notice her at the masquerade ball, but more importantly, she hoped it was all worth it and that if she did grab his attention that he was everything she imagined him to be.


	2. Chapter 2

As he emerged from the shower in his former bathroom, towelled himself dry and then strolled naked into the bedroom at the manor which had been his since childhood, Draco Malfoy contemplated the evening ahead. He was back at the manor for his parents charity masquerade ball, and even though he wasn't a big one for parties, he wouldn't have dreamt of skipping the event. The ball meant a lot to his parents, and Draco did everything he could to support their change of lifestyle since the war, just as they'd supported him when he'd set out to turn his life around and leave behind the darkness of his past.

Sadly, it was impossible to leave every piece of darkness behind him, and Draco carried a permanent reminder of his past in the form of the fading Dark Mark on his left forearm. He knew he was luckier than most former Death Eaters in the fact his mark had been so new at the time of Voldemort's downfall that it had faded more than others who had borne the mark for years. However, even as faint as it was, the mark was still there and it was still affecting his life.

Earlier that day his mother had mentioned that the masquerade ball might be the perfect opportunity to find a witch and settle down. At the time Draco had brushed her off and informed his mother that he wasn't ready to settle down, but that wasn't the truth. The truth was, he wasn't sure he would ever find anyone who could live with his past when he had a constant reminder etched onto his arm.

Since the end of the war, Draco had discovered that his mark caused differing reactions in the female population. A certain set were fascinated by it, and loved to ask him questions about his time as a Death Eater, but Draco avoided witches like those as he knew getting involved with someone fascinated by his dark past would only lead to trouble. Then there were the witches like his old friend, Pansy Parkinson, who would once have jumped at the chance of bagging a Malfoy, but were now wary of getting involved with a family who had such a sordid past. Draco knew Pansy herself would once have fallen over herself to grab him, but these days she claimed to only see him as a friend. Maybe it was true, but Draco suspected the deciding factor in his friend abandoning her desire to become the future Mrs Malfoy was all down to the mark on his arm.

And as for the respectable, decent witches who had fought against Voldemort, they avoided Draco like the plague. Well, all except for one – Hermione Granger. But Draco knew he couldn't have her, no matter how much he desired her. She was too good for him, and Draco cared about her far too much to attach scandal to her name by showing an interest in her. Besides, she'd shown no romantic interest in him even though they worked together in the same department. Hermione had been warm and welcoming to him, and he enjoyed the few conversations they'd had, but she hadn't gone out of her way to spend time with him, and Draco understood that. A war heroine like Hermione could do far better than a former Death Eater like himself.

Shaking his head to dispel thoughts of what he couldn't have, Draco pulled on a pair of black boxers before changing his mind and removing them again. He doubted he would find a life partner at the party, but he knew that masquerade balls had the potential to be exciting as people lost their inhibitions while wearing masks, so he might just find a witch to have a bit of fun with.

For his outfit, Draco had gone with his favoured black. Slipping into a pair of formal black trousers, he teemed them with a new expensive black shirt. Deciding to forgo a jacket, as he felt that would be to much black, he popped open the two couple of buttons on his shirt. He knew the look would be far too casual for his father's liking, but Draco knew it would help him stand out from the crowd.

Finally, Draco used magic to attach a velvet black mask with silver edging to the top half of his face. The mask was rather simple, but the effect was rather striking with his distinctive blond hair. Satisfied with his appearance, Draco headed downstairs to join the party, which would just be getting underway.

In preparation for the party, Lucius had placed wards around the areas of the house that wouldn't be open to the public. All the public areas, including a ballroom, a dining room, a living room, the smallest library and parts of the garden, had been decorated and staff hired to keep a flow of food and drink coming in every room.

Entering the party, from the main staircase which was also out of bounds, Draco had to admit his mother had done a spectacular job. The manor was looking very festive and the lighting was low and sultry, with soft music magically piped into every room of the party. All around him masked witches and wizards milled around the manor, and Draco couldn't help but chuckle to himself at how dressed up some of the men were. The witches were magnificent in stunning ballgowns and elaborate masks, but a few of the men hadn't been outdone and they were in outlandish, colourful outfits and masks just as elaborate as their female counterparts. In comparison, Draco looked like a mysterious shadow flitting through the party.

Grabbing a flute of champagne, Draco made the rounds of the party, seeing if he could spot anyone he knew. He easily spotted his mother in a pale blue outfit adorned with white feathers, and a matching mask that gave her the look of an elegant swan. His father had gone for black like Draco, but he'd gone for full on dress robes and his mask had white feathers that matched Narcissa's outfit. Draco also spotted the Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shackelbolt, in a set of deep purple robes and a matching purple mask.

As he made his way towards the garden, Draco turned his attention to the witches in attendance. Just a glance revealed that he could pick from dozens of beauties. He spotted a stunning blonde witch in a daring red dress, a striking redhead in a deep sapphire dress which swept along the floor in her wake, a beautiful brunette in a golden dress which could easily double as a wedding gown. The list was endless, and Draco was receiving enough looks to know that he was also grabbing some attention.

After ten minutes in the garden, spent chatting to a couple of witches who looked stunning but had nothing between their ears, Draco returned to the main body of the party. Helping himself to another glass of champagne, he popped a mini salmon tartlet into his mouth just as his gaze fell on a dazzling witch entering the ballroom.

The witch in question was wearing the most amazing green and silver gown. The top of her dress was fitted to her every curve, and her ample bosom almost spilled from the top of the dress. The green skirt of the dress pooled down to the floor, but was split at the front revealing a clinging underskirt of silver. And when the witch moved, Draco licked his lips appreciatively at the sight of a couple of daring slits that showed tantalising glimpses of a pair of bronzed legs.

Turning his attention higher, Draco was momentarily distracted by a pair of deep red lips which were curved into a slight smile as the witch in question chatted to a masked man wearing dark blue. Moving his gaze further north, Draco found the witch was hidden behind an intricate emerald and silver mask. Although the mask didn't hide her cascading chocolate curls, and Draco desired nothing more than to run his fingers through them and see if they were as soft as they appeared.

Waiting until the wizard in blue had moved on, which was a stupid move in his opinion as the emerald witch was by far the most captivating woman in the room, Draco grabbed some more champagne and moved confidently over to the witch who had captured his attention. With a dazzling smile, he offered her one of the crystal flutes.

"Thank you," the witch replied in a silky voice which sounded slightly familiar to Draco.

"Do we know each other?" he asked, trying to place the voice, but not quite managing it.

"If we knew each other, you wouldn't have to ask me that question," the witch replied with a tinkling laugh, which again Draco felt as though he recognised. Although it was as if the witch was disguising her voice, only revealing a hint of who she truly was.

"I'm sure we know each other," Draco said, allowing his grey eyes to scan over the curvaceous creature in front of him.

"Maybe we do," the witch conceded, making a blatant show of following Draco's lead and giving him a firm checking over.

"You know who I am, don't you?" Draco frowned, needing to get to the bottom of who he was talking to. That was the problem with masks, they hid enough so that people could hide if they chose.

"I'm sure everyone here knows who you are," the witch replied with a throaty laugh. "You are very distinctive, Draco."

At the use of his given name, not to mention the sexy purr in which it was delivered, Draco felt a surge of desire rush through his body. He didn't yet know who was under the mask, but he did know that whoever she was, he wanted her. He'd wanted her from across the room, but he wanted her even more now he'd met her and decided that she was playing a game with him. He was positive they knew each other, but he strongly suspected that if he wanted to know who he was dealing with, he would have to work it out for himself.

"Since you know my name, do I not get a name for you?" he asked with a smile. "After all, if I don't know your name, what am I to call you?"

"You can call me whatever you like," the witch replied, returning Draco's smile with a devious smirk of her own. "What name do you like, Draco?"

One name instantly came into his head, but he had the sense not to utter it. He may not have known who he was talking to, but he was sure that whoever his mystery witch was would know the name Hermione. And he knew that if he took to calling the witch Hermione, word would soon spread and then everyone would know that he had feelings for the feisty little muggleborn who had helped Harry Potter save their world. And Draco didn't want to cause Hermione any problems by associating his name with hers.

"Well?" the witch pressed with a pout. "Don't you want to give me a name?"

"I haven't decided what name would suit you yet," Draco replied as he held out his hand. "Would you care for a dance while I try and decide on one?"

"I'd be delighted," the witch laughed as she placed her hand in Draco's and allowed him to lead her onto the dance-floor.

As he pulled the witch into his arms, her curls brushed against his shoulder, and Draco got a strong whiff of vanilla and coconut. The smell immediately made him think of Hermione, as whenever he was close to her, he smelt vanilla and coconut. Glancing down at the witch, he quickly realised that she was the same height as Hermione, and her hair was the exact same shade of brown.

"Is there a problem?" she asked, looking up at Draco.

"No problem," Draco replied with a smile as they began to move in time to the music.

The eyes had sealed it, and Draco now had the answer to his question. The witch he was dancing with was none other than Hermione Granger.

As they danced, Draco was tempted to let Hermione know that he'd worked out who she was, but something stopped him. She'd already admitted to knowing who he was, not that it could have been missed, so there had to be a reason why she was keeping quiet about her identity. Draco wasn't sure what sort of game Hermione was playing, but two could play games and Draco intended to have some fun with Hermione.

"I've decided on a name for you," he whispered in her ear, smirking slightly when he felt her shiver slightly in his arms.

"What?" she asked, gazing up at him through the eyeholes of her green and silver mask.

"It's a secret," Draco replied with a smirk. "If you want to know what name I've christened you with in my head, you're going to have to get it out of me somehow."

"And how do I get it out of you?"

"Make me scream it in pleasure," Draco returned in a low voice, running his hand down Hermione's back, feeling her shiver yet again.

"Is that a challenge, Draco?" she asked with a teasing smile.

"Are you up for it?" Draco returned with a teasing smile of his own.

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see."

Out of nowhere, Hermione suddenly leaned up and brushed her lips over his cheek, before disentangling herself from his arms and sauntering away from him with a sexy sway of her hips. Draco watched her leave with a smile on his lips, knowing full well that every other woman at the party might as well not exist. He wanted Hermione, even more so now he knew who she was, and by the end of the night, he planned on having her.


	3. Chapter 3

As she walked away from Draco, Hermione could feel his grey eyes following her every move. Once she was free of the ballroom, she used the decorated hallways and a slight breeze to find her way outside. As with the manor itself, only part of the gardens were open for the party, but what was available for people to stroll around was stunning. Not that Hermione was paying too much attention to her surroundings as she perched herself on a bench beside the rose-beds and took in the crisp evening air.

Even though she'd attended the party with the intention of seducing Draco, she had to admit things were moving faster than she'd anticipated. She'd thought she would have to find Draco and try and gain his attention, but he'd noticed her almost as soon as she'd entered the party. She'd felt him watching her as soon as she'd set foot in the ballroom, and out of the corner of her eye she'd watched him studying her while she'd been talking to a rather charming wizard in blue.

She'd gotten rid of the wizard in blue by dropping hints about a jealous boyfriend lurking around somewhere, and she hadn't been too surprised when Draco had approached her the second she was alone. However, she had been surprised by the fact he'd so quickly caught onto the fact they knew each other. While she wasn't disguising her voice too much, she hadn't thought they'd spoken enough for him to pick up on the familiarity in her voice as quickly. Although so far he didn't seem to have made the connection to her.

When he said he'd had a name for her, she had wondered if he'd worked out who she was. But then he'd refused to give her a name, and Hermione couldn't help but wonder if he was stalling for time. She wouldn't put it past him to keep trying to work out who she was before he revealed what name he had for her. Although if he'd been serious about dragging it out him, she would only find out the name he had for her if things took a racier turn. And that couldn't happen as long as she was hiding outside.

Getting to her feet, Hermione smoothed down her dress and prepared for her next encounter with Draco, she headed back into the manor. Accepting a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, Hermione scanned the crowds for Draco's familiar figure as she moved through the rooms open for the party, admiring the beautiful home the Malfoys had. Of course she had been in the manor before, and her memories were of a dreary, foreboding place, but that had been during the height of the war and a lot had changed since then, especially the Malfoys themselves.

Hermione still hadn't spotted Draco when she moved into yet another room, this one circular in shape, and found herself surrounded by books. Gazing around the library, Hermione gasped at the majestic feel of it all. Ornate wooden shelves ran around the walls, reaching up towards a high ceiling. Hermione also spotted a spiral staircase, leading to a mezzanine walkway which circled the room, making the books on the top shelves accessible. The room itself contained a roaring fire, and several comfortable looking chairs were dotted around the room for reading. The room was Hermione's idea of heaven, and she momentarily forgot about Draco as she ran her fingers tenderly along the nearest shelf of books.

"Do you like?" a voice suddenly whispered in her ear, and the clenching of her stomach reminded Hermione of why she was at the masquerade ball.

"It's an amazing room," Hermione returned, not turning to look at Draco, who she knew from the heat radiating from him, was standing directly behind her.

"This is only the smallest of our libraries," Draco informed her. "But it's my favourite. It's the most intimate."

"How many libraries do you have?" Hermione asked, turning around and finding Draco even closer than she'd realised. Their bodies were practically brushing against one another, and it would take only the smallest of movements for their faces to be mere inches apart.

"Three, if you include my private library in my wing of the manor," Draco answered. "Although it's rather depleted at the moment since the majority of my books are at my penthouse. But I do have a nice library there, if you ever want to come and see it."

"But I've barely even seen this one," Hermione pointed out with a teasing smile.

"In that case, let me give you the guided tour," Draco said, stepping back and offering Hermione his arm. "I can show you all the best places to hide," he added in a low voice as Hermione slid her arm through his.

"You can get up to all sorts of trouble in the dark corners of libraries," Hermione replied silkily.

"I'm counting on it."

Flashing Hermione a devious smile, Draco gave Hermione a swift tour of the ground floor of the library, before leading her towards the spiral staircase. It was obvious to Hermione that the staircase had been charmed to keep people away, but when she mentioned it to Draco, he merely laughed and reminded her that he was a Malfoy, and he could go anywhere he desired.

"Besides, it means we won't get disturbed up here," he said with a grin, as he took hold of Hermione's hand and led her up the spiral staircase to the mezzanine floor.

Once they were at the top of the staircase, Hermione realised there was more room than she imagined, and plenty of alcoves which were hidden from sight from the ground floor. Passing by a couple of dark alcoves, Draco pulled Hermione into an alcove which contained a window which was letting in the moonlight. Worrying that someone downstairs could see them, Hermione looked around and found a bookshelf blocked the view of anyone down below.

"Now, you're at my mercy," Draco informed her in a low growl as he backed Hermione towards the window ledge.

"What if it's you who is at my mercy?" Hermione teased. "After all, I have the advantage of knowing who you are. You still don't have a name for me."

"I have a name for you," Draco retorted.

"Then what is it?" Hermione asked.

"Make me say it," Draco challenged, stepping forward and tracing a finger over the silver detailing of Hermione's emerald mask.

"Maybe I'm not that eager to know," Hermione whispered, taking hold of Draco's hand and bringing his fingers to her lips, where she teasingly slid one in between her red lips.

"A little Vixen like you needs answers," Draco replied with a slight groan as Hermione sucked on his finger, mimicking something much more fun she could be doing.

"I do hope the name you've got for me is better than Vixen," Hermione pouted as she gave Draco his hand back. "I want you to give me a real name."

"I've got a real name for you," Draco promised. "And it's a beautiful name. But you have to earn it."

"That I can do," Hermione promised, moving forward and pressing her lips against Draco's.

Draco was quick to react to the kiss, and his body moulded itself against hers as he pressed her back against the window ledge. With their tongues dancing around each other, Draco's hand drifted down Hermione's body, and she whimpered when she felt it slip through the daring slits in her dress. Draco's hand silkily caressed Hermione's thigh as it teased its way upwards towards the apex of her thighs and the lacy scrap of black material that covered her throbbing womanhood.

"You're already wet for me," Draco muttered against Hermione's neck as he ran his fingers over her lacy knickers.

"Stop teasing," Hermione begged, wiggling her hips against his taunting fingers.

With a laugh, Draco twisted his hand around the soaked fabric of Hermione's underwear and with a flick of his wrist, tore them from her flesh. Hermione gasped as her underwear was removed so roughly, and her eyes widened in surprise when Draco tucked the ruined material into his trouser pocket.

"Call it a souvenir," he told her with a grin, when he noticed her watching her.

"Do you always steal witches underwear?" Hermione asked, not sure if she should be flattered or outraged that he'd stolen her new knickers.

"This would be the first time," Draco replied. "But you know what they say, there's a first time for everything."

"I hope underwear stealing is the only thing that is a first for you," Hermione retorted. "I have high expectations for you, Draco."

"And I fully intend to live up to them," Draco replied, reconnecting their lips at the same time he slid his hand back under Hermione's dress and back in between her legs.

Hermione let out a low curse as Draco's fingers slid expertly through her wet folds, his thumb finding and teasing her clit. When he slipped a finger inside her, she threw her head back with a wanton moan, only half hoping that the noise didn't carry downstairs. However, as Draco continued his ministrations, his fingers bringing her such pleasure while he lavished kisses on her exposed neck, Hermione forgot to care about how loud she was being. All she cared about was Draco, and the building tension in her lower stomach.

"Oh god, Draco," she moaned, grinding her hips against his hand as her orgasm teetered within touching distance.

"Come for me, Vixen," Draco whispered in her ear, asserting more pressure on her sensitive clit.

With a cry, Hermione fell over the edge, her walls contracting around Draco's fingers as delicious sensations shuddered through her whole body. Draco caressed Hermione through her orgasm, and he only removed his hands once she'd slumped back against the window ledge.

"Nice," he remarked, sucking on one of his fingers that had been inside Hermione only moments before.

"That was more than nice," Hermione muttered as she slowly regained her senses. "You know what you're doing."

"I do," Draco confirmed with a nod. "Does it bother you?"

"No," Hermione answered with a cat-like smile. "It means I'm not going to be disappointed. And for the record, I also know what I'm doing."

"And what is that?" Draco asked, his eyes widening behind his mask as Hermione elegantly sank to her knees in front of him, her emerald skirt pooling around her.

"I'm going to get you to call me something other than Vixen," Hermione purred as she flicked open Draco's belt and unzipped his trousers. The second she pulled at Draco's trousers, she realised he wasn't wearing underwear and she looked back up at him with a shake of her head. "No underwear. Were you expecting something like this to happen?"

"Let's just say, I wasn't opposed to the idea," Draco replied as Hermione continued to pull down his trousers.

"I do hope I'm not a disappointment then," Hermione whispered, glancing back up at Draco and pouting at him.

"You are not a disappointment, Vixen," Draco assured her.

"Call me that again, and I might bite," Hermione teased. "And you wouldn't want me to bite, would you?" she asked breathlessly, slowly poking her tongue out and lapping at the end of Draco's hard erection.

"Hell no," Draco groaned, his attention riveted to Hermione's red lips which were so close to his throbbing manhood.

"Then be a good boy and give me a real name when you come," Hermione purred, as she enclosed her mouth around Draco's erection.

Draco groaned loudly as he dug his hand into Hermione's curls, almost uttering her name as her mouth and tongue teased him. She'd meant what she said about knowing what she was doing, and Draco had no complaints as she expertly pleasured him with her mouth. Several times he almost lost control and moaned her name, especially when she kept glancing up at him demurely through the eyeholes of her mask. But her name never left his lips as his orgasm approached and he felt himself about to explode.

Alerting Hermione to the fact he was almost there, Draco almost cracked when she informed him that was the idea and redoubled her efforts. With a harsh cry, Draco's orgasm hit him and his hold on Hermione tightened as she remained on her knees in front of him. Feeling a bit weak in the legs, Draco stumbled back against a bookcase as Hermione rose to her feet, delicately licking at her lips.

"You, Draco Malfoy are a tough nut to crack," Hermione sighed. "You still didn't give me a name."

"No, I didn't, did I?" Draco asked with a smirk as he pulled up his trousers. "But I'll do you a deal. Come back to my room with me, and I'll give you a name other than Vixen."

"Later," Hermione promised. "But first, I want to enjoy the rest of the party. I haven't had anything to eat, and I've only had one dance. It's not every day I attend a masquerade ball, and I want to make the most of it."

"That we can do," Draco replied with a smile as he took hold of Hermione's hand and led her back down the spiral staircase.

Even though there were people in the library, no-one gave them a second look as they slipped back into the party. With the buzz of anticipation bubbling between them, Hermione and Draco spent another couple of hours at the ball, eating, dancing and having a great time in each other's company. Hermione still couldn't get Draco to give her a name, although she suspected he was still trying to work out who she was. And given the fact he hadn't worked out who she was already, Hermione didn't think he was going to do it. She just hoped he wasn't disappointed when she revealed who she was, as she had no intention of getting into Draco's bed while she was still wearing her mask. What they'd already done was fine, but she wasn't allowing him to make love to her unless he knew who she was.


	4. Chapter 4

As Hermione allowed Draco to lead her to his old bedroom in the manor, she was awash with nerves and doubts over whether she'd handled the evening correctly. Maybe it would have been better all round if she'd just admitted who she was when Draco had first shown an interest in her. It would certainly have alleviated the worry she felt over Draco rejecting her when he discovered just who she was.

"Are you nervous?" Draco asked, smiling at Hermione. He may have only been able to see half her face and her eyes, but he had easily noted the tension in her face that hadn't existed earlier.

"Why would I be nervous?" Hermione countered.

"Maybe you're worried about what will happen when the masks come off," Draco suggested. "Maybe you'll not like what you find when I remove my mask."

"Are you forgetting that I know what you look like?" Hermione asked with a chuckle. "You're the one who's in for the surprise. I know whom I'm with, but you have no idea who you are."

"I know who you are," Draco replied, stopping outside of a closed wooden door.

"You do?" Hermione's heart rate kicked up a notch, and she wondered if Draco had come to the wrong conclusions and was expecting someone else under the mask.

"Yes, you're my little Vixen," Draco answered with a smirk.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione allowed Draco to take hold of her hand and lead her into his bedroom. The room was decorated exactly as Hermione would have imagined it in a mixture of green, silver and black.

"How original," she chuckled. "You really were a true Slytherin, weren't you?"

"What do you mean, were, I still am a true Slytherin," Draco said, moving behind Hermione and wrapping his arms around her waist. "A Slytherin whose been playing a game with you this evening," he confessed in a low whisper.

Hermione froze at Draco's words, and suddenly she feared the worst. Even though she'd seen how Draco had changed over the last few years, she was now worried that she was going to experience the old Draco, who wouldn't have thought twice about playing with someone's feelings.

"What game?" she asked, trying to move out of Draco's grasp, only to have him tighten his hold on her.

"A similar one to the one you've been playing," Draco replied, his lips brushing against Hermione's ear as he spoke. "You came here tonight to seduce me, didn't you?"

"Maybe," Hermione hedged, not wanting to give too much away until she knew where Draco was going with the conversation.

"And that's why you wouldn't tell me your name, isn't it?" Draco pressed. "Why though? Were you worried I would say no? Or were you hoping to have your wicked way with me without me being any the wiser?"

"Maybe I'm shy and the mask lets me do things I wouldn't ordinarily do," Hermione replied quietly. "Maybe it gives me bravery I wouldn't normally have."

"You, my little Vixen are full of bravery," Draco whispered. "Or should I call you my little lioness. After all, its much more fitting for a Gryffindor."

"How do you know I'm a Gryffindor?" Hermione asked. "If, I even am one," she amended hastily as she still wasn't convinced that Draco knew her real identity.

"I told you I had a name for you," Draco answered. "A name I decided on the second I took you in my arms for our first dance and realised who you were."

"Who is that?" Hermione whispered, her stomach clenching at the moment of truth.

Pressing even closer to her, Draco nibbled on her neck before moving his lips to her ear and answering her question. "Hermione."

Hermione's heart flipped over at the realisation that not only had Draco worked out who she was, but he'd done so very early on. Which meant that everything that had happened since, had happened with him knowing exactly who he was with. He'd known exactly whose knickers he'd stolen, and he'd certainly known who had been down on her knees pleasuring him orally.

"What's wrong? Has the cat got your tongue?" Draco teased. "You didn't really think we could get this far without me working out who you were, did you?"

"I didn't realise you'd paid my enough attention to recognise me as easily," Hermione confessed.

"I would recognise you in a room full of people polyjuiced to look alike," Draco replied honestly. "So a sexy dress and mask wasn't going to fool me for long. Not that I'm sure why you'd want to fool me."

"Because I didn't think you would ever want me," Hermione admitted.

Instead of replying, Draco gently turned Hermione around in his arms. Pulling out his wand, he then removed his mask and threw it onto the bed.

"Will you remove your mask?" he asked.

Doing as Draco asked, Hermione used her own wand to remove her mask. As she threw her mask onto the bed next to Draco's, she spotted the way the blond wizard smiled as her full face was revealed to him.

"That's better," Draco said with a smile. "Why wouldn't I want you, Hermione? Any wizard would be lucky to have you."

"Tell that to the men I've managed to scare away by just being me," Hermione snorted.

"You thought you would scare me away?" Draco questioned, arching an eyebrow at the witch in front of him. "I know I'm hardly known for my bravery, but I'm not that much of a coward."

"You've never shown any interest in me," Hermione said softly. "I didn't think you were interested, so I never did anything about my feelings for you."

"You have feelings for me?" Draco asked, his face lighting up in a wide smile.

"Yes," Hermione confessed. "But what about you? You've known who I was this entire time, so does that mean you like me?"

"More than you can ever know," Draco replied in a low voice.

"Then why haven't you said something?" Hermione asked in bewilderment. "I wouldn't have thought that you would be worried about rejection."

"Rejection I can take," Draco confirmed with a nod as his smile faded. "I didn't say anything to you because of this."

Hermione frowned in confusion as Draco rolled back his left sleeve, revealing his faded Dark Mark. "I don't understand. I've seen your mark before, I know all about it."

"You don't know about the taint that comes with it," Draco said quietly. "On a whole I'm accepted and my past is just that, the past. But no matter what I do, I will always be a former Death Eater. And I didn't want you to be tainted by being associated with me."

"Isn't that my choice to make?" Hermione asked softly as she reached up and cupped Draco's cheek in her hand. "It case it slipped your notice, Draco, I'm hardly a wallflower. I don't care what people say about me, and if anyone dared judge me for getting involved with whomever I choose, I would give them a piece of my mind. I don't care about your past, Draco. What I care about is the fact I like you. Plus you give the most amazing orgasms," she added light-heartedly.

"I can do even better than that," Draco boasted. "If you give me a chance, I'll make you see stars."

"Now that sounds like a promise I can't wait for you to keep," Hermione purred, wrapping her arms around Draco's neck and pressing herself against him.

Attaching his lips to Hermione's, Draco wrapped his arms around her and ran his hands over her curves. After a few moments, he broke the kiss with a frown and turned Hermione around in his arms.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked as Draco's hand continued to roam her bodice.

"How do you get into this thing?" Draco grumbled. "This dress is far too nice to rip it from you, even if I am tempted to do just that. But if I don't find a way in soon, I might have to resort to violence."

"The catches are magically hidden," Hermione explained with a laugh. As delicious as it sounded to have Draco tear her clothes off, she really appreciated his concern for her dress, which she didn't want ruined. "Run your wand down my spine and the dress will open."

Grabbing his wand from the bed, Draco slowly ran it down Hermione's spine, murmuring his appreciation as her pale skin slid into view as the dress parted down her back. Discarding his wand, Draco slid a hand into Hermione's open dress and slipped it around to her front, where he cupped her breast, flicking her already pebbled nipple as he did so.

"Did I tell you how much I liked the dress?" he whispered in her ear as his hand continued to stroke her breasts. "It's very sexy, and very Slytherin."

"It was picked with you in mind," Hermione admitted, gasping slightly as Draco removed his hand from her breast and gently started to tug her dress downwards.

It didn't take long for the dress to fall to the ground, pooling around her feet and leaving her in nothing but her silver shoes. As she stepped out of the dress, she kicked off her shoes, while Draco gathered her dress and finding his wand again, he magically hung it on the front of his wardrobe.

"Thank you," Hermione said as Draco pulled her back against him.

Hermione couldn't help but shiver at the erotic feel of being completely naked, while Draco was fully clothed. She could feel his erection pressing into the small of her back, but she could also feel the rub of his clothes in between them. However, before she could say anything about his clothed state, his hands were trailing over her naked body, causing her to forget everything but his touch.

"Don't you have a promise to keep?" she asked as Draco nibbled at her neck, his hands venturing ever lower. "You said I would see stars."

"And you will," Draco vowed, sliding his hand in between Hermione's legs.

"Hmm, I was hoping for something a bit more substantial than your fingers," she gasped, even as she felt ripples of desire rush through her at the feeling of Draco's fingers teasing her.

"I can do that," Draco said with a chuckle. Stepping back from Hermione, he gave her a playful smack on the backside. "Make yourself comfortable."

"Hmm, I always wondered what it would be like in Draco Malfoy's bed," Hermione said with a smirk as she climbed onto the green and black covers and made herself comfortable.

"Always?" Draco asked, soaking up the sight of Hermione lounging in his bed.

"Always," Hermione returned with a wink as she teasingly spread her legs and slid her hand down to tap at her thigh. "Now are you going to join me, or do I have to make myself see stars?"

With a low growl, his grey eyes firmly fixed on Hermione's exposed flesh, Draco yanked off his shirt, not caring that it ripped slightly as he did so. He then kicked off his shoes, and scrambled out of his trousers as quickly as was humanly possible. Naked, and very obviously aroused, he jumped onto the bed next to Hermione and connecting their lips in a hungry kiss, he pressed his body against hers.

"I want you, Draco," Hermione whispered in between heated kisses as she reached for his erection and guided it towards her.

"I want you," Draco returned breathlessly as he sheathed himself inside of Hermione.

"Make me see stars, Draco," Hermione challenged with a smirk as their lips found each other again.

Rising to the challenge, Draco began to make love to Hermione, their bodies moving effortlessly together. Writhing together on top of Draco's sheets, not an inch of skin remained untouched and unexplored as the couple made the most of every second together.

"I'm so close," Hermione gasped, arching her back against Draco and wrapping her legs around his waist, drawing him even deeper inside her.

"Me too," Draco panted, dropping his head to Hermione's shoulder. "Come for me, little Vixen."

"Not Vixen," Hermione gasped. "Say my name."

"Hermione!" Draco uttered Hermione's name on a shout as his body tensed and his orgasm overcome him.

In response to both Draco calling her name with such abandon and reaching his climax, Hermione tumbled over the edge herself. As pleasure flooded her body and she writhed against Draco, her vision went distinctly blurry and closing her eyes, stars popped behind her eyelids just as Draco predicted they would.

"We are definitely doing that again," Draco panted as he collapsed against Hermione.

"Yes, we are," Hermione hummed in agreement.

"And did you see stars?" Draco asked, raising his head just enough to see Hermione's face.

"I did," she confirmed, dropping a kiss to the bridge of his nose. "Did you?"

"I saw whole constellations," Draco joked as he reluctantly rolled off Hermione so he didn't squash her.

"What happens now?" Hermione asked as Draco pulled her into his arms and she settled down with her head resting against his bare chest.

"We rest for a while, then we can do it again."

"I meant the future," she whispered. "I don't want this to be a one night thing, Draco."

"Nor do I," Draco admitted. "But I don't want to ruin your life, Hermione. Once people know we're involved, they will judge you whether you like it or not. It could change how people see you."

"I don't care." Sliding herself up, she rested her head on the pillow beside Draco, their noses virtually touching. "I want this, Draco. I want you. I don't care how messy it gets, or what anyone says. All I want, is what we've got right now."

"Then I say, sod the world and let's be happy," Draco grinned, his hand running down Hermione's back and cupping her backside.

"I thought you said you needed a rest," Hermione chuckled.

"I do, but I've just realised I haven't tasted you yet," Draco answered as he rolled Hermione onto her back and hovered over her with a wolfish grin.

"You're going to be insatiable, aren't you?" Hermione laughed as Draco gave her a searing kiss before sliding down her body and settling himself between her legs.

"You're going to love it," Draco replied confidently, before dipping his head and causing Hermione to see stars for the second time that evening.

**The End.**

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**A/N – Thanks for reading and commenting, as always your support is greatly appreciated. Don't forget tomorrow I will be publishing an After The End for this story. I actually wrote this story and the After The End Piece together as the After The End piece came to me as I was writing this story, but it didn't fit with the way I wanted the story to unfold. However, After The End proved a perfect place to put it and fully round off this story, so I hope you all read it when it's published tomorrow. Thanks again for reading, and I hope to be back soon with new stories.**


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